Uganda: Bukenya Hits Back, Says Kings Bill Was Distorted

The Vice President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, yesterday insisted that some sections in the cultural leaders' Bill were smuggled; a day after Gender Minister Gabriel Opio accused him of disowning minutes of the Cabinet meeting he chaired.
Talking to Saturday Monitor yesterday morning, Prof. Bukenya said although the law regulating the activities of traditional leaders is "wanted and necessary," he was not responsible for the proposed legislation. "Yes I chaired the cabinet meeting that discussed the Bill but I'm not a dictator. The cabinet approved it and there is collective responsibility.


I didn't read every sentence of the Bill. There is a minister responsible for that Bill," said Prof. Bukenya. Wasn't me In a separate statement issued by the Vice President's Office yesterday, Prof. Bukenya was quoted as saying:
"There are many inclusions into the Bill that were smuggled into the original draft. The original Bill didn't have the hyped rotation of cultural leaders in like the case in Buganda which has a number of cultural leaders." It added: "The Vice President is clear in the statement; to him Clause 9(2) of the Bill was not part of the original draft. The truth of the matter is that the final editing could have problems contrary to what was agreed in cabinet."
On Thursday, Mr Opio told the media that Prof. Bukenya and other three ministers had disowned sections of the Bill in a meeting with President Museveni in Rwakitura--and yet the Vice President had chaired the cabinet meeting that approved the final draft of the proposed law.

The ministers had reportedly said some clauses of the Bill had been "smuggled" into the final draft, compelling the President to order their deletion and institute an inquiry into the possibility of fiddling.
Of concern is Clause 4(3) which states that a person shall not be compelled to pay allegiance to any person installed as traditional or cultural leader. Of greater contention is Clause 9(2) stating that where there is more than one traditional leader in the area of a regional government, the position of titular head of the regional government shall be held by each of the traditional leaders within the area in rotation for one year at a time.
But Mr Opio, who was charged with the investigation, said after reviewing the cabinet minutes he had discovered that nothing had been tampered with--and instead accused his cabinet colleagues of opportunism.
"Some of those ministers claiming that someone smuggled in some sections either dodged the meeting or they don't want to own their decisions. In fact, that meeting of November 18 which made the final proposals in the Bill was chaired by the Vice President himself," he said.

Other ministers who attended the Rwakitura meeting were Ruth Nankabirwa (Micro-Finance), Maria Mutagamba (Water) and James Kakooza (Primary healthcare). Contacted yesterday, Mr Kakooza admitted missing the November 18 cabinet meeting, while Ms Nankabirwa speaking in Kiboga District insisted that the stand-off about the Bill had been caused by self-seekers who smuggled in clauses not part of the original Bill. Addressing over 200 National Resistance Movement leaders from Wakiso District at his Katomi resort on Thursday, Prof. Bukenya criticised those "exaggerating" contents and intentions of The Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Bill, 2010--saying they wanted to sabotage the NRM government ahead of February elections.

Prof. Bukenya called upon NRM loyalists to start "a fire brigade campaign" to root out what he described as "lies" from the community and focus on the merits of the Bill, adding that each interested person should have a copy to read for themselves. Justifying the need for the Bill, Prof. Bukenya said the late Archbishop Kiwanuka warned against involvement of cultural leaders in politics, noting that it would stir tensions between the two centres--a prediction that came to pass in the 1966 crisis.

Crisis history In that year, President Milton Obote abolished kingdoms and forced Kabaka Mutesa into exile.
Government troops overran the Kabaka's seat at Lubiri--and kingdoms remained abolished until 1993 when they were restored by President Museveni's government. Ethics Minister James Nsaba Buturo yesterday weighed in on the controversy in cabinet over the Bill, asking all parties to cease fire and warned politicians against using the Bill as a campaign tool. One last effort MPs from Buganda region have threatened to storm the committee on legal affairs that will be discussing the Bill on Monday in a last-ditch effort to block it. But with the Vice President digging in that the Bill was tampered with and his gender ministry colleague swearing that nothing was changed, the final decision now lies with President Museveni, who now has the minutes of the November 18 cabinet meeting by his side. Additional reporting by Edison Ndyasiima